updated 12:05 pm EDT, Thu September 25, 2008

Turkish iPhone on Sept. 26

Though having confirmed in mid-August that it would carry the iPhone, Turkcell has only just announced that the phone is to launch in Turkey tomorrow, September 26th. Three pricing options are available with an 18-month contract: at a cost of 75 YTL per month, the small package includes a phone starting at 279 YTL, along with 150 minutes of voice and 150 text messages. Data use is listed as "unlimited," but in fact includes just 100MB of free data in the first month, a 3GB bundle costing extra. The first three months of the bundle are half-price.

The medium package ups monthly costs to 115 YTL, but drops the phone to as low as 189 YTL, and boosts minutes and texts to 500 each. The large package costs 145 per month but offers an 8GB iPhone for free, and includes 1,000 minutes and 1,000 texts.

Buyers will also have the option of a contract-free phone, paid for in five installments of €129. Turkey will be one of three countries receiving the iPhone on Friday, joining Latvia and Lithuania, where the phone will be sold through TeliaSonera. Together the countries will push Apple's total number of iPhone launches to nearly 50, encroaching on the company's goal of 70 for 2008.